Not NFHS!

[bigjohn]

Touchdown celebration penalty costs Mass. team a state title - Prep Rally - High SchoolBlog - Yahoo! Sports

[bigjohn]

In my opinion this is pure BULL$HIT!!!!!

[JRutledge]

It might be the case in that state. BTW, Massachusetts uses NCAA Rules.

Peace

[MD Longhorn]

NCAA (as well as Texas UIL ... I can't specifically speak for Mass HS's ruling body) has been VERY clear to both officials and coaches/teams how they want this called. It's not the official's fault if the coaches have not ensured their players know this. You may consider it BS - but the NCAA clearly wants this behavior to END and have decided the overly strong consequence is the way to end it. If you don't call this (especially in a visible game), you won't keep your job.

Direct your ire toward the rules makers if you have to... or more accurately to those who would not stop this behavior before the penalty became this potentially severe.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Direct your ire toward the rules makers if you have to... or more accurately to those who would not stop this behavior before the penalty became this potentially severe.

And who made those rules again?

Peace

[InsideTheStripe]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

You may consider it BS - but the NCAA clearly wants this behavior to END and have decided the overly strong consequence is the way to end it. If you don't call this (especially in a visible game), you won't keep your job.

Really?!?!?

The NCAA wants this behavior to end? A quick spontaneous display of emotion during a huge play? A display of emotion that is not delayed, excessive, prolonged or choreographed? A display not directed at an opponent that don't demean an opponent or provoke ill will? Say what you will about BJ... but he's right on this one.

I can't find a rule that makes the action illegal under NCAA rules. At the end of the day, someone exhibited extremely poor judgment in this situation. I don't know if it was the game official, the game official's assignment chair, or the MA governing body; but it was someone.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by InsideTheStripe

Really?!?!?

The NCAA wants this behavior to end? A quick spontaneous display of emotion during a huge play? A display of emotion that is not delayed, excessive, prolonged or choreographed? A display not directed at an opponent that don't demean an opponent or provoke ill will? Say what you will about BJ... but he's right on this one.

I can't find a rule that makes the action illegal under NCAA rules. At the end of the day, someone exhibited extremely poor judgment in this situation. I don't know if it was the game official, the game official's assignment chair, or the MA governing body; but it was someone.

You do not have to find it in the rulebook, the NCAA put out a lot of literature and showed video to have these things stop. Now we can debate if that is the proper call or not, but we also do not know what Massachusetts said to their officials about the issue either. They could have been more specific. The NCAA did not want diving or antics before players got into the EZ. If they did not want a rule to be ambiguous or leave it up to some judgment, why create a rule? This is why coaches should not be creating rules, they do not have to enforce them. They probably know nothing about enforcing the rules as well and you get situations like this taking place.

Peace

[HLin NC]

We've been instructed to call it when it happens, it's zero tolerance now."

- Joe Cacciatore, the assigner for officials in the Catholic Conference and Greater Boston League

That's all I need to know. If my assigner says its right, its right.

[JugglingReferee]

TOO 'in funny.

Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Cathedral coach Duane Sigsbury told the Globe. "If you're going to take a game away from a kid being excited because he just made the play of his life, shame on you."

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

In my opinion this is pure BULL$HIT!!!!!

That and 99 cents will get me a large ice tea at McDonald's.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

That and 99 cents will get me a large ice tea at McDonald's.

That tea is $1.00. Assuming his opinion is worth 1 cent is a big stretch.

[InsideTheStripe]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Now we can debate if that is the proper call or not, but we also do not know what Massachusetts said to their officials about the issue either. They could have been more specific.

My response already indicated that I wasn't ready to put the blame on the calling official. It might have been his assignor. It might have been his state association. The blame belongs to someone, though. It was a horrible call. That IS the debate. Any time you'd like to respond to the topic at hand, please do so. As a state finals back judge, would you have thrown the flag? As a college official, would you have thrown the flag?

If not, stop supporting it in a roundabout way.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by InsideTheStripe

My response already indicated that I wasn't ready to put the blame on the calling official. It might have been his assignor. It might have been his state association. The blame belongs to someone, though. It was a horrible call. That IS the debate. Any time you'd like to respond to the topic at hand, please do so. As a state finals back judge, would you have thrown the flag? As a college official, would you have thrown the flag?

If not, stop supporting it in a roundabout way.

My state does not use NCAA Rules so this is not an issue at the HS level. Based on the information we are given this would not be something I would call without some specific guidance.

At the college level if I got specific instructions to do so, yes. If this specific situation was not said to violate the rule, then no. It appears this was part of their interpretation to outlaw this.

Remember we all work for someone and that is the premise where I am coming from. I honestly do not care either way as long as this has been the standard. And according to the article this is what the people wanted. I look at it the same way as when the Washington QB was penalized against BYU for throwing the ball in the air. The rule was clear and the interpretation was clear. The call basically affected the outcome and the officials were absolutely right while many thought it was a bad call. The problem is rules makers are not officials and come up with these rules and then it comes back in these situation. Get in the damn EZ and you will not have much to worry about. It really is that simple.

Peace

[TXMike]

If you are going to flag this then you will be a very busy beaver as there are tons of defensive players you will have to start flagging for the small celebrations they perform following their tackles, pass break ups, interceptions and fumble recoveries. No wonder we saw this since one of the guiding documents on uns conduct from the rules editor says "If it feels wrong, flag it" . It opened the door to these type of "close calls".

[bigjohn]

It might be the case in that state. BTW, Massachusetts uses NCAA Rules.

That is why I put not nfhs in the title. That is why the NFHS will never make this a live ball foul (I hope) and you and I both know some are for this just because BigJohn is against it.

Whoa, now I am writing in the third person.